Bioplastics and Biodegradability
This guest blog is courtesy of Debra Darby, Darby Marketing.
Recently several colleagues interested in organics recycling have asked me about the use of the terminology “biodegradable” and “compostable”, and what these terms mean. Several types of products have come out that further complicate people’s understanding including bags and food service ware items made from bioplastics and other compostable materials. I will provide some definitions and a glossary of terms for you to gain a general understanding.
What are Bioplastics?
Bioplastics are a large family of materials that can be used to make a wide variety of consumer products. A bioplastic is a plastic that can be biodegradable, has biobased content, or both. Bioplastics is a term which encompasses two categories:
- Bioplastic made from renewable resources. Here the origin of the raw materials used to make bioplastics, typically from biomass including industrial sugars and starch, is considered biobased.
- Bioplastic that is biodegradable and compostable…